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Red Sox beards to be shaved at Gillette headquarters

Red Sox beards: World Series MVP David Ortiz and Red Sox outfielder Shane Victorino will shave their beards Monday in a promotional event. All Red Sox players grew beards in the 2013 season as a sign of solidarity.

November 2, 2013

By StaffAssociated Press

Boston

The beards are coming off for World Series Most Valuable Player David Ortiz and outfielder Shane Victorino.

Boston Red Sox owners John Henry and Tom Werner brought the World Series trophy to center court before the Celtics' home opener against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night. They got a huge cheer from the Boston fans still giddy over Wednesday night's victory over the St. Louis Cardinals.

The Celtics showed highlights from the World Series on the scoreboard while the Red Sox anthem "Tessie" blasted over the speakers.

Injured Celtics point guard Rajon Rondo took over Pierce's usual role of speaking to the fans before the opener. Wearing a suit and tie and a fake beard — a tribute to the Red Sox — Rondo welcomed the fans before taking a seat on the bench for the rest of the game.

Boston is preparing for a World Series parade Saturday that's expected to draw hundreds of thousands of Red Sox fans into the city to thank the team for a remarkable season.

The parade is set to begin Saturday morning at 10 a.m.. The players will climb aboard 24 amphibious vehicles at Fenway Park and travel through the city before going into the Charles River.

Security will be tight during the event, with extra police on hand throughout the day and random searches of backpacks along the parade route.

The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority plans to run extra trains and subways at a rush-hour level.

The Red Sox beat the St. Louis Cardinals 6-1 at Fenway on Wednesday to take the best-of-seven series in six games.